It’s nothing fancy, not a modern trend, and not a dish that requires ten different specialty ingredients. Chicken, cooked carrots, eggs, pickles, and a creamy dressing – that’s really all you need.
That’s exactly what I like about it.
We used to have salads with mayonnaise on our table quite often. They were delicious, of course, but sometimes quite heavy. Especially if they also contained meat, eggs, and potatoes, a small portion was almost enough to fill you up.
This salad is different. The mayonnaise is completely omitted. Instead, I make the dressing from egg yolks, crème fraîche, a little olive oil, and mustard. This keeps the salad nice and creamy while also giving it a fresher taste.
The gherkins add acidity, dill provides a lovely herbal note, and the cooked carrots contribute a subtle sweetness. Together with the chicken and eggs, this creates a salad that tastes surprisingly harmonious.
I find it particularly practical when there’s leftover cooked or roasted chicken from the day before. Then preparation is really quick.
But even if you prepare everything fresh, the recipe is uncomplicated.
You can boil the chicken, bake it in the oven, or simply fry it in a pan. The only important thing is that the meat remains juicy and then cools completely.
It should not be mixed with the other ingredients while warm, because this will make the dressing thinner and the whole salad will taste less fresh.
I also like to prepare the carrots and eggs a few hours in advance. Once everything is cold, all you need to do later is chop it, mix the dressing, and combine everything.
And as with many such salads, it usually tastes even better after an hour in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
Serves approximately 4–6:
